“You told him to leave you alone until he reached the Temple and met the Oracle.”
“Einarr’s talking to you.”
Frey gave her a smug smile. “But Einarr and I know we are fated and mated. He thinks he might have found our third.”
“Where?”
“In the Hakron village they rescued from the Etruscans.”
“Maybe that’s why Aki isn’t talking to me.” Elli put her hand to her mouth. “Maybe he’s met a nice Hakron couple and realized he doesn’t need me anymore.”
“Elli.” Frey gave her a look. “It isn’t like you to be so dramatic.”
“It’s this place.” Elli shuddered. “It gives me bad memories.”
“Well you’ll be out of here soon enough.” Frey grinned. “Einarr’s just arrived.”
The door opened and Einarr came in and went straight to Frey. He knelt down before her and kissed her hand. “My Female.”
“Oh, Einarr…” Frey wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her high. Within seconds they were disappearing down the corridor into one of the bedrooms.
“Elli Slavin.”
Elli tore her gaze away from Einarr’s retreating form and turned to find Aki had come through the door. She kept her shields high, and her smile painted on.
“Aki.”
He halted a few paces in front of her, his smile dying. “Am I not welcome here?”
She took a shaky breath. “You are very welcome. I just wondered if there was anything you wanted to tell me about—like whether you have realized I’m not the one for you. It’s okay. Just tell me the truth—I can handle it.”
She kept babbling on and his face relaxed. He crouched beside her chair.
“Elli, I missed you so very much.”
His simple words did something to her insides, and she smiled like a fool. “That’s good.”
“Did you miss me?”
She nodded and he took her hand. “I am glad.” He kissed her fingers and then the inner curve of her elbow. “May I kiss you?”
“I thought you were—” She gasped as he placed his hand firmly on the back of her neck, drawing her face down to meet his. His mouth softened over hers and the subtle touch of his tongue made her open to him. For the first time since Carlin had abandoned her, she allowed herself to fall into a kiss and let it consume her.
She clutched at Aki’s massive bicep and held on, her nails digging into his skin as he continued to kiss her senseless.
“You smell like the forest.”
“I could hardly smell of anything else
,
my heart
,
I’ve been walking through it for days.
”
He angled his head, tasting her in a different way. Her breasts were now crushed against his chest and her nipples were two hard points of need. He pressed closer and she opened her thighs, letting him settle in between them. They both groaned as his stiff cock pressed against her belly. She was already wet for him, the scent of her arousal drifting up to mingle with his more earthy tones.
“I want you,” he said the words out loud against her lips.
“I noticed that.” She touched his chest and slowly trailed her finger down until it reached the huge bulge in his leather pants. His breath hitched as she gently scratched her nail against the soft fabric.
He covered her hand with his own. “I also know that if you wish to wait until we come before the Oracle, I will abide by your decision.”
She went still. Did she want to wait? Even if he wasn’t her one true mate, could she just enjoy one night with him? His shaft kicked up against her fingertips, and the desire to see him and touch him overwhelmed her.
“I want you.”
He nodded. “I was told that a Pavlovan may take any lover that pleases them unless their bonded mate disagrees. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Then will you take me?” He rolled his hips, pushing his cock hard against her hand, and her knees went to jelly.
“Yes, but I want you to know that it doesn’t have to mean that we’re fated mates or anything. You don’t have to make any promises, and I—” She gasped as he swept her off her feet and over his shoulder.
“Which is your bedchamber, Elli?”
“The first on the left.” She might not enjoy being tossed over his shoulder, but it certainly gave her a fine view of his ass. She grabbed the back of his belt and hung on.
To her surprise, he kicked the door shut with his heel, placed her gently on the bed and then simply stared down at her before falling to his knees.
“You are beautiful, Elli.”
She could only smile foolishly down at him.
“You make me forget my words and think only about the pleasures of the flesh.”
“That’s okay,” she managed to croak.
“But there are matters to discuss…”
She sat bolt upright. “No. There aren’t. I don’t want to discuss anything about the Oracle, or our matches, or let anything come between us at this point.”
Confusion flooded his face. “But I wish to be honest with you.”
“You can be as honest as you like when we are in front of the Oracle. I don’t even care if you repudiate me. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I would never do that to you. But the Hakron I spoke with suggested it would be better for us all if I made sure that you did not object to—”
She held his worried blue gaze. “Aki, did you have sex with someone in the Hakron village?”
“Aye, I did.”
“Then that’s okay.”
He frowned. “But what if the Oracle—”
“Can we just leave all that outside this door? Can we just have sex without it having to get so
serious?”
“
But you are a serious person, Elli. I am not toying with your affections. I would not wish to do that to anyone on your planet,” Aki protested. “And Ash and Esca would kill me.”
She slowly pulled her top over her head and took off her bra. His words stuttered to a stop, and his gaze fell on her naked breasts.
“I cannot argue with you when you are undressing, Elli Slavin.”
“Then perhaps you’d better stop arguing,” she said sweetly.
His hands went to his belt and he unbuckled it and removed his axe. He unlaced his shirt, his gaze fixed on her. She shimmied out of her pants and sat cross-legged on the bed as he removed various weapons from all over his body. She could see new scars on his torso from his recent fight to save the Hakron village. She wanted to kiss every single one of them better.
“You may do that later,” Aki murmured. “Come here.”
He went back on his knees and drew her close to the edge of the bed, his hands on her hips, spreading her legs wide with his massive shoulders. Elli tensed as he let out a warm breath over her most intimate parts and then inhaled.
“You smell like home.”
He bent his head, and the three blond braids at his temple brushed her inner thigh. She was so aware of him that the first gentle lick of his tongue against her clit made her jump. One of his big hands settled over her hip, holding her exactly where he wanted her to be.
“Mmm…”
He continued his careful exploration, spreading her with his tongue, learning her until she was pushing upward, demanding more. He laughed against her flesh.
“Patience, my heart. I’ve waited four thousand years to taste paradise. I intend to enjoy every second of it.”
He continued to torment and lick her and then introduced one thick finger, rubbing up and over her clit and then lower to dip inside her in an unending circle of heightening need.
She reached down and grabbed his forearm and dug her nails in deep.
"
Please.”
“What do you want?”
“More,” she whispered.
He eased back and watched the slow penetration and retreat of the tip of his finger until she was biting down on her lip and writhing up against him.
“I’m big,” he murmured. “I want you to take all of me.”
“How big?”
He smiled at her and climbed onto the bed, lifting her higher against the pillows and kneeling between her thighs. “Touch me.”
He took her unresisting hand and placed it over the huge bulge of his cock that pressed against the leather of his pants. He rolled his hips against her fingers and groaned. “Unlace me.”
Even as she attempted to unlace his pants, his fingers continued to play with her slick, hot folds, and his thumb rubbed a steady circle against her clit. Her climax hit her unexpectedly, and she bucked against his thrusting fingers.
“Ah…” He sighed as she finally shoved down his pants and released him in all his glory. Gods, he was an impressive and somewhat intimidating sight. His cock not only long, but thick and wide as well. She wrapped her fingers around him and they barely met.
Her whole body went molten and soft at the thought of taking him inside of her. Leaning forward, she licked at the pearly wetness gathering at the tip of his crown. He growled as she sipped at him and then gently pushed her back onto the bed. She licked her lips as he stared down at her.
“Nice.”
“You can taste me all you want later, my lady. But now I want to be inside you.” He stroked his shaft, bringing it away from the muscled wall of his abs. “Do you want me?”
She nodded and held out her arms to him. With a soft prayer, he shed the rest of his clothes and settled over her, his knees spreading her thighs wide as he brought the crown of his cock down to rub against her already swollen clit.
“You are my true love,” he murmured. “I want you more than anything in this world.”
The thick head of his cock nudged against her and pressed inward back and forth in an inviting dance that begged her to ram her heels into his perfect ass and drive him home deep within her. But Gods, he was huge…
“Is all well with you, my Female?”
She opened her eyes and stared into his fathomless blue gaze. “You’re big.”
“Aye. I will give you much pleasure.”
“And I haven’t really… done this completely before.”
He went still, his whole body quivering over hers, his hands braced holding him away from her. Only the throbbing head of his cock remained notched against her sex.
“You are a maiden?” Elli nodded and then almost whimpered as he drew back. “Then this will not do.”
“But I
want
it to do.”
His smile was ragged. “You need more time to accept me.”
She grabbed hold of his massive bicep. “You are going to continue, aren’t you?’
“Aye. If you still wish me to. We will take it more carefully. Are you certain that you don’t wish to discuss our mating further?” He frowned. “I am honored that you have chosen me as the first male to share your bed.”
“I want you. I never had sex with Carlin because we never actually lived together as mates. I waited almost ten years for him to come back to me.”
“And have never wanted anyone else since?”
“I was too ashamed.”
“Of what, my heart?” He cupped her chin, his blue gaze intent.
“That I wasn’t good enough, that Carlin had rejected me for a reason,” she whispered. “He said I was too intense—that he had to get away from me.”
His scowl was ferocious. “Carlin was a fool. But at this moment, I am glad that he was a fool because he did not deserve you.”
He bent and kissed her slow and sweet, reigniting all the feelings she’d feared she’d left behind during her incomplete mating.
“Now, where were we?” he whispered as he thrust his tongue into her mouth in a slow, languorous rhythm. “I want you very badly, Elli. I want to make you so wet and eager that you won’t even feel my cock penetrate you for the first time.”
“I doubt that.”
He chuckled against her throat. “Aye, I am big, and I want to feel you coming hard around every inch of my flesh. Do you think you would like that? My cock buried deep in you as you come and keep coming for as long as I can manage to stay hard?” He bit her. “And I can stay hard for a very long time.”
His fingers played gently with her clit, rubbing her wetness in circles as his big, callused finger eased deeper inside her, copying the subtle thrusting motion of his tongue. She forgot how to breathe, her body following his lead and moving with him as if they had one single purpose.
“That’s nice, my heart.” He eased a second finger in alongside the first and she took it easily. “If you take my cock like that, I will be in heaven indeed.”
She took a strangled breath as he widened the motion of his fingers and added a third, the wet sounds of her need loud against the pounding of her heart and his soft murmurs of encouragement.
“I didn’t think you would be so careful with me,” she admitted.
“When you grow used to me, I will sometimes be a little more direct.” He groaned. “I will fuck you as hard and as often as you like. I swear it.”
At his darkly uttered promise, her body opened to him even more and he planted his thumb on her clit, making her climax and grip his thrusting fingers.
“
Please.”
“Aye, I cannot wait any longer. I need to be inside you.”
He growled and replaced his fingers with the thick crown of his hot, wet cock. “
Please take me.”
Elli held his gaze as he carefully pushed inside her. Gods, he was still so
big.
He smiled down at her. “
Take more
.” He rocked his hips very gently and another inch of him disappeared inside her. “
I want you. I want to fill you up, make you come and scream my name. I want you to forget that Carlin ever existed
.”
“
I think I already have
.”
She opened her mind to him, and his thoughts touched hers as intimately and carefully as his body. His whole focus was on her and her pleasure. Seeing that—feeling that made her open her body to him even more.
“
Elli,”
he sighed her name and surged forward. “
By Odin, you make me so hard I cannot imagine ever wanting to come out of you
.”
She let out another breath as he continued to play with her clit, making her eager to take more of him than she had dreamed possible. Gods. He was pushing deeper. She whimpered and angled her hips to allow him more room, gasped as he continued to fill her.
Another climax shuddered through her and, with a soft sound, Aki slid even further in, holding himself still as she writhed and pulsed around the hard steel of his thick length.